This season’s press tasting at Lidl was interesting. Prices have definitely gone up in most cases, but there are still some good value wines to be found. Here are my top picks of what’s available now but there are some corkers coming in out in store during November and December, so check back soon!
(Sorry about the weird, disembodied hand photos. Needs must…)
SPARKLING
Comte de Senneval Brut Champagne, £13.99
For the very low price, this is decent. It’s savoury, nutty and complex - proper Champagne with a lot going on - it’s just lacking some of the charm and zip you get in more expensive versions. A solid choice when you don’t want to break the bank but you do want the real deal.
Crémant de Loire Brut, £8.99
Crémant is really having its moment in the sun and for good reason. This is traditionally made like Champagne so has the finer bubbles a bit of brioche. Infinitely drinkable, with tangy notes of rhubarb and lemon sherbet, it’s not massively complex but that is also part of its charm. For the price, this is what you stock up on for parties.
WHITE
Greco Beneventano IGT 2024, £7.99
Italy’s native grapes make brilliant bang for buck wines and this mild and minerally white is a real crowd pleaser. Golden in colour with notes of baked pear and apple, this is viscous and mouth filling without being ‘too much’ of anything. Lovely.
Duca di Sasetta Viognier, Terre Siciliane 2024, £7.49
Viognier is a marmite grape - you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I love it for its perfumed, peachiness and its unashamedly curvy body. Lots of ripe fruit here from apricots to yellow plum. It’s juicy and fun, even if it’s not the most complex wine on the shelf.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, 2024, £7.49
Pinot Grigio rarely floats my boat if I’m honest because at the cheaper end, it’s often neutral an insipid. Not so here. A touch herbaceous with notes of almond cream and a lean, mineral character, this punches well above its price tag. A delicious, easy drinking PG with a brain!
Vin de France Chardonnay Barrique 2024, £8.49
Fans of oaky Chardonnay, come closer. This golden wine is in your face flavour-wise, but it’s not too sweet or cloying. Full, round and balanced, think toasted vanilla marshmallows with a slick of saltiness keeping it all fresh. It’s not exactly white Burgundy by then, neither is the price.
RED
Violet Garnacha Tempranillo 2023, £9.99
This Spanish wine’s bright purple label really primes you for what’s inside: a dark, lean red that has the most exquisite nose of cocoa and violet. It’s a tad rustic in the best way with grippy tannins and tangy fruit. Best with food but it’s a heartwarming, different choice.
Duca di Sasetto Nero di Troia, £7.49
If it’s a bang for buck red you’re after, look no further. Full-flavoured with notes of smoky, grilled meat, mocha, bramble fruit and a subtle leafiness, there’s a lot going on in the glass. The label looks fairly posh too so it’s a great one for gifting or opening up with a steak or Sunday roast with all the trimmings.
Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2023, £13.99
While this may be pricey for Lidl, it certainly isn’t for a Grand Cru Bordeaux of this calibre. Merlot dominated as you’d expect from the Right Bank appellation of Saint Emilion, this is old school and reserved on the nose but opens up to cedar, tobacco leaf and pepper on a bed of cassis. It’s silky on the palate too. A great wine for gifting.
Chianti Riserva Corte alle Mura 2021, £5.69
I know, I know, I keep going on about this wine but for the ridiculously low price tag, this just keeps on delivering - and I’m not sure how long they can keep it up! Full of Italian charm, this is riper style of Chianti with some of that sour dark cherry tang and herbiness but also, with a dollop of red fruit and mocha. An idea pizza wine for anything with tomatoes.
Wish you knew a little more about wine? Check out my bite-sized video wine course!
